SUNY

The State University of New York is making it easier for students to graduate by making its campuses' 12,000 online classes available on one website.

Chancellor Nancy Zimpher announced the launch of the program Open SUNY during her State of the University address Tuesday, saying it will make it easier for students to find the classes they need to take and allows students the chance to learn on their own time while dealing with their day-to-day lives.

In early November, Dr. David Smith resigned as president of the State University’s Upstate Medical University and University Hospital. Days before, the Times Union in Albany had reported Smith was close to leaving Syracuse’s biggest hospital to become president of Penn State University.

University at Buffalo researchers are developing an underwater internet system. The wireless network aims to improve the detection of tsunamis and could potentially save lives. The deep-sea system integrates acoustic underwater networks with the Internet.

A network of acoustic sensors placed on the ocean floor collects data. That information is then sent up to a buoy on the surface, where it’s converted into radio waves.

New York’s plan to attract new business and jobs to the state by offering them tax-free space at public colleges is underway. Officials Tuesday outlined for the first time specifics about how the program will work.

They tried to lay out the plan as simply as possible:

"There’s no fine print. There’s no trips and traps, caveats; there’s no taxes," said Executive Vice President of Startup-NY Leslie Whatley in a conference call with reporters.

The head of the State University of New York welcomes the competition component of President Barack Obama's new education plan, intended to make a college education more affordable.

The president's plan would rank colleges and universities according to a number of factors, including student debt and graduation rates. It would then tie that ranking to federal student aid. SUNY Chancellor Nancy Zimpher says the proposal will also encourage innovation and take measures to reduce student debt.

In 1950, New York City’s garment industry employed 300,000 workers. During the last several decades, those production jobs have all but disappeared. But the story of what happened next in this industry is dramatically different from others in cities elsewhere in the state.

Today, Fashion Week in New York City attracts nearly 250,000 visitors from around the world and has an economic impact on the city of of more than $750 million.

Community Colleges have a uniquely important set of educational roles to fill in their communities. In this edition of the Campbell Conversations, Grant Reeher talks with the new President of Onondaga Community College, Casey Crabill. They discuss how the diversity of community college missions fit together, and her priorities in moving the institution forward from an already strong base.

SUNY trustees have voted to split the University of Albany and the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, to create the system's 65th SUNY campus. The founder of the college says the move will save SUNY money and help bring high tech jobs to New York state.

The plans is to have the new specialized college up and running in the 2014-2015 academic year, says Alain Kaloyeros, the school's CEO.

"What the governor and the chancellor want out of this is have the MIT or Stanford out of SUNY. A state of the art, scholarly hub at an affordable tuition," he said.

SUNY Oswego is taking part in phase two of the statewide SUNY Works program, which is designed to bring together prospective employers and students through paying jobs for the students.

SUNY Oswego President Deborah Stanley says the college has already had a co-op employment program in place for several years, but says SUNY Works enhances the existing program. Stanley also says by providing students with an opportunity to make money, college becomes more affordable.

Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy called the SUNY campus system an economic driver for the state during a visit to SUNY Oswego Tuesday morning.

Duffy discussed the recent START-UP NY initiative, which allows for new and expanding businesses to move on to or near college campuses. Those companies will be exempt from paying state sales, property or business taxes for ten years.

"Everybody is doing everything they can just to transform the economy and put things in place that will keep businesses here and growing, and draw new ones in," Duffy said.

At a rally Tuesday in Albany, labor advocates protested Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s latest economic development program. The program, Tax-Free NY, is a new spin on an old economic tool.

“I think tax-free zones are a horrible idea right now. I think that these programs have been tried in the past. We’ve called them empire zones, job incentive programs, we know through history that these simply do not work,” said Ron Deutsch from the left-leaning New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness.

Last year the U.S. Department of Labor awarded more than $14 million to the SUNY network of community colleges in upstate New York to develop work training programs for emerging industries. But, nearly one year on, the advanced manufacturing sector is asking for more, pointing to the skills gap as an ongoing issue.

Eric Roth is one of fifteen students in the commencing class of an intensive course aimed at combating the growing thirst for workers.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo says many of his key agenda items are still in play in the legislature, even though he’s been spending most of his time lately promoting tax free business zones at some state college campuses.

Cuomo held his sixth event in a week to highlight a plan to create tax free business zones at public and private colleges, as well as on some state owned properties. But he insists he’s still actively pursuing his other end of session priorities -- including public financing of political campaigns, a women’s equality act, the siting of three upstate casinos, and a board to help distressed upstate cities.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been traveling the state promoting a plan to allow new businesses to go tax-free for up to a decade if they locate near a State University of New York campus. The plan, which is yet to be drafted into bill form, has raised some questions.

SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services, or BOCES, serving the surrounding counties are partnering on a new science and technology program for high school students.

The cost of going to college is an issue of growing concern among students, their parents and public officials. Now the State University of New York is introducing a tool to help applicants figure out exactly how much it will cost them to attend.

SUNY is asking the state for up to $185 million to stabilize its two public teaching hospitals. Most of the cash is needed for the Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn. But Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse also needs millions.

While the majority of us would be very happy to see out the summer without flies ruining our outdoor dining experience, one particular species of fly has provided the inspiration for a potential breakthrough in the technology of hearing aids. It's not just any old house-fly we're talking about, though.

Top officials in the SUNY system want to ban all tobacco use on its 64 colleges campuses. Adam Wolfe has the story.

Since 2007, smoking has been prohibited within 20 feet of SUNY buildings. And it's not allowed inside any structure, including dorms, either. But if the SUNY Board of Trustees has its way, smokers won't be able to light up anywhere on SUNY's 64 campuses -- and they mean anywhere -- including outdoor parks.

Innovative programs from eight Central New York SUNY Schools were on display in Syracuse Monday. It was part of the "Power of SUNY Regional Showcase", that let schools from across the area share projects.

Carl McCall, the newly appointed Chair of the State University of New York Board of Trustees, is no stranger to New York politics and policy making. He sat down Monday to talk about his goals for SUNY and what he discerns in the Occupy Wall Street and now Occupy Albany movement.